UCLA study finds spike in suicide ideation and attempts among older U.S. adults

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders reveals a significant increase in suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among U.S. adults aged 50 and older in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing data from nearly 42,500 individuals via the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2021 and 2024, researchers found that suicidal ideation rose by 42.6 percent, suicide planning by 256.2 percent, and suicide attempts by 263.3 percent.

Notably, many of these increases were concentrated among individuals who lacked traditional risk factors, such as major depression or alcohol use. The study also observed that suicide planning rose more steeply among those with past-year cannabis use (449.9 percent) compared to those without (188.3 percent).

Lead author Dr. Kevin Yang noted that current screening approaches may be failing to identify at-risk older adults who do not fit traditional profiles. The researchers suggested that risk assessments may need to expand to include factors like social isolation, loneliness, bereavement, financial strain, and frailty.